334 UTILITARIAN ZOOLOGY 



be dangerous to man, it need only be said that, since they are 

 expert climbers, trees afford no refuge to human beings if they 

 chance to be attacked. 



Bears (Ursidse), from their great strength and powerful claws, 

 are dangerous antagonists when roused, but they can scarcely be 

 considered the natural enemies of mankind, for most of them leave 

 human beings alone unless provoked, or impelled by hunger. It 

 may be gathered from accounts of Arctic expeditions, for example, 

 that a hungry Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) will not hesitate to 

 attack men, and similarly for the Brown Bear of Europe (U. 

 arctos), and the North American variety of that species commonly 

 known as the " Grizzly ". It is rather curious that the Indian 

 Sloth- Bear (U. labiatus), which chiefly lives on fruit, honey, and 

 insects, is somewhat given to turning upon our species, though, 

 obviously, not as the result of hunger. At least Sir Samuel Baker 

 says (in Wild Beasts and their Ways): "This species is very 

 active, and although it refuses flesh, it is one of the most mis- 

 chievous of its kind, as it will frequently attack man without the 

 slightest reason, but from sheer pugnacity". And under these 

 circumstances the long - curved claws are capable of inflicting 

 " terrible wounds upon a human being". 



Wolves, when pressed by hunger, are destructive to human 

 life in several countries, their habit of hunting in large packs 

 greatly aggravating the danger, as everyone is aware. The 

 annual casualties due to wolves in parts of the Russian Empire 

 are by no means inconsiderable. 



Even without special provocation some of the larger wild 

 Mammals of purely herbivorous habit may injure or kill human 

 beings, as in the case of Hippopotami, Buffaloes, Rhinoceroses, 

 and Elephants. All have heard, for example, of "rogue" Ele- 

 phants, ill-natured males which have been expelled from their 

 herds for general misbehaviour. But details are here unnecessary. 

 Some of the smaller forms, such as Wild Boars, are also danger- 

 ous, and the Peccaries (Dicotyles), which range from South America 

 to Mexico and Texas, are even more so. A. G. Requa recounts 

 the following amusing adventure (in The Big Game of North 

 America] with a herd of White-lipped Peccaries (D. labiatus), which 

 sufficiently illustrates their ferocity: "I had not sat there more 

 than five minutes before I heard the sharp noise of the Peccaries. 

 They came in sight not more than twenty yards below rne. There 



